Good News for People who Love Bad News
by HeDoesn'tEvenKnow
Summary: I am proud of this. It's set after Hogwarts and after the war. Hermione, who joined the Muggle communiti after the war, returns to a site where she must face what she's done and gone through. Kind of sad, but read! and i would appreciate reivews!


"I can't believe I'm here." Hermione Granger muttered, walking through the graveyard. She never thought she'd have to return to this place.  
She was 25 now. The war had been over for three years. _We won_, she thought, _but at such a great cost.  
_Hermione knelt on one denim-clad knee. She'd found what she'd come for. Dragging her newly manicured nails over the dirt, she sighed.

**HERE LIES HARRY POTTER  
THE BOY WHO LIVED  
A HERO AMONG MANY  
1980-2002  
**

Hermione shut her eyes against offending tears, unsure if she'd chosen waterproof mascara that morning. Laying a blanket over the ground, she settled herself at the foot of Harry's grave.  
It must have been late, she realized, glancing up at the full moon. Hermione smiled, thinking of dear Remus. Of course, he'd sacrificed his life protecting Ron.  
The war, in all, had lasted about eight years. It had destroyed the magical economy and had even had a devastating impact on the Muggle world. Many innocent lives were lost.  
In the earlier years, when Hermione had still been in school, Albus Dumbledore had been brutally murdered by Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore, apparently, had been paying Malfoy a visit in Azkaban when the murder took place. Malfoy was delivered the Dementor's Kiss on sight; but his punishment didn't undo what he'd done.  
At that time, it was the most horrible thing Hermione had ever witnessed. She could never have known then the terrors that she'd not only come to know of, but also partake in.  
As the memories that she'd so carefully kept hidden away inside of her mind made their way free, Hermione forgot about her mascara and began to cry silently, remembering.  
In the end of her 6th year, she'd been sleeping when Lavender Brown shook her awake, screaming that Headmaster Dumbledore was dead. In that instance, Hermione lost all childish innocence. She became a warrior.  
That summer, she had stayed with the Weasleys. She feared her parents' safety, and felt that her presence would only put them at greater risk. Two weeks before her 7th year began, the Weasleys received news that Bill and Fred had been found dead. They had both been assigned by the Order of the Phoenix to trail suspected Death Eaters. Shortly after their deaths, Mrs. Weasley was sent to St. Mungo's. She was put into solitary confinement.  
During Hermione's 7th year, with Minerva McGonagall as new headmaster, the war escalated. Voldemort began making his presence known to Muggles. Hermione had been getting ready for the year's first Hogsmeade trip when McGonagall asked to speak with her privately.  
The day before, the Order of the Phoenix had received news that Death Eaters had kidnapped Hermione's parents. It was believed that they had been viciously tortured until they died from the extreme pain. In that instant, Hermione had lost all sense of being. She became a lost soul.  
But there was someone who could find her. When Ginny Weasley killed herself in the girls' bathroom, Hermione saw in Ron what she herself was going through. They sought solace in one another's arms, and pulled each other out of the bottomless pit they'd fallen into.  
Hermione laughed out loud. At the time, she'd felt guilty. When she was with Ron, it felt as though everything was okay. Everything he did helped her to forget about the pain. And she'd felt she didn't deserve him, so she'd told him it was over.  
After Christmas, Draco Malfoy surprised everyone by joining Harry's side. Over winter break, his mother had run off and gotten herself killed by a mysterious giant named Grawp (at this breaking information, Hermione gasped and ran off before Draco could finish speaking). With the loss of both his father and mother, Draco had begun to reevaluate his lifestyle. When he came to Harry, everyone was suspicious. But the years to come proved him loyal, despite the lack of difference in attitude. Malfoy was still a swarmy, arrogant git, harassing Hermione in their spare time. But when Bellatrix Lestrange broke his neck, he was mourned by many.  
Draco was only one of many people to lose their lives against Voldemort. Neville Longbottom was one of the last ones to go. The same cursed him as his parents, and Harry was forced to put him out of his misery. Severus Snape also lost his life, diving in front of Harry to protect him from the killing curse. The Dursleys were among lost Muggles, but they weren't much missed. Lee Jordan and Oliver wood were also killed sometime in battle.  
When school ended, Hermione joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Voldemort full time. For the most part, she worked at protecting the ones she could. But in the end, she'd killed too many people to ever feel clean again.  
She and Ron gave their all in fighting the good fight, but it was Harry who would end it. In a way, they'd known that all along. But there was something they hadn't known. Harry discovered that there was only one way to defeat Voldemort. Long ago, he explained in a letter he'd written and left under Ron's pillow, Dumbledore had told him of a link he shared with Voldemort. A connection in which allowed them to feel each other's feelings, hear each other's thoughts, and see each other's memories.  
Ron had held Hermione back that fateful night. Having read the letter Harry had left him, he knew what had to be done. He just watched helplessly as Harry and Voldemort faced off for a final challenge. Hermione just stood screaming when Harry had yelled, "ADAVA KEDAVRA!"  
Voldemort was perhaps most shocked when Harry pointed his wand at himself. Ron had often wondered afterwards if Voldemort did not think Harry clever enough to figure out that they were two halves of one whole.  
_But Harry was a brilliant wizard, even if not clever_, Hermione thought. "Why Harry?" Her voice was strained. "How could you leave us? We needed you! **_I_** needed you! I still do! Oh, Harry, there must have been another way! I could have figured it out!"  
Weeping, she pounded the ground. "You just had to give me time! How could you? How dare you just leave me thinking you didn't care! For three years, Harry, _three_ years! I hated you!"  
Her voice breaking, she retired into wordless sobs. After Harry had died, Ron showed her the letter he had gotten. It explained that as long as either one of Voldemort or Harry lived, the other could never die. Hermione had been heartbroken. Didn't she deserve to know? Why had Ron received the letter and not her? Why hadn't she merited a good- bye?  
With the war over, Hermione had no reason to stay. She'd fled the magical world and became a Muggle teacher. She lived with a Muggle boyfriend by the name of Scott just outside of Essex. She'd completely made herself over, with smooth, chestnut hair and a normal, boring childhood.  
But just lately, Hermione couldn't stop thinking of the life she'd walked away from, the people she'd loved like no other. Sleeping next to Scott in a bed with still pictured hung on the wall- it didn't feel right anymore. She was living a lie.  
So when Scott was working late one night, she'd dug though the attic and pulled out the chest she'd locked and hidden away. With a bravery spawned from emptiness and need for closure, she began going though her belongings from Hogwarts.  
She'd soon organized everything into piles. Books and bottled potions; pictures and letters; etc. Finally, there had only been three things left in the trunk: her wand, a newspaper clipping, and a sealed envelope. She'd sat the wand aside- she doubted even being able to still use it.  
The newspaper clipping was from the summer between her second and third year at Hogwarts. The Weasleys had gone to Egypt, and the _Daily Prophet _had done a section on them. Every Weasley was there. Bill and Fred and Ginny were laughing and waving. Having no idea of their ill-fated endings. Ron was holding his rat Scabbers ("Evil bugger," Hermione had hissed), and basking in the spotlight. They seemed so happy. But that was a world away now.  
Finally, Hermione had grabbed the envelope. There was no writing on it, and she didn't recognize it, much less remember packing it up.  
Inside was a letter. As she'd read it, the whole world around her seemed to cascade into darkness.

_ Hermione,  
__I know that by the time you read this, I'll be dead. I've chosen to place this letter where you won't find it until I've carried out my proposal. I've done this because I know you'll try and stop me.  
__I'm sure you're confused and angry; I don't blame you one bit. But hopefully this letter will help you understand.  
__I know Ron will tell you of the reasons why I have to do it (for his letter instructs him to do so). But he, and no one else, knows why I do it.  
__As I write this, I'm shaking in fear. Yes, the great and mighty Harry Potter is terrified. But I know I can do what I must… because of you.  
__You've given me strength, Hermione. No matter what happened in my life, you were always constant and stable; giving me hope. You were always my inspiration in times of weakness. You pushed me to do so much more than I ever thought I could.  
__I am making this choice for you. But do not blame yourself for my death! I want you to live, to have life, to smile and laugh. And if the only way you can live is if I die, than I will die for you. You can do so much- you can change the world. You've changed mine.  
__Always remember- there are worse things in life than death.  
__I love you.  
__Harry._

"I'm sorry!" Hermione screamed at his tombstone. "I'm sorry for hating you, I take it back! I take it all back, please, just please come back to me! I miss you so much!"  
She rocked back and forth, unable to say anything else, and cried. She cried until she couldn't anymore. Then she just sat there, staring in regret at the grave, occasionally relapsing into a quick burst of whimpering cries.  
"Hermione?"  
She stood quickly, knowing without looking who she's see behind her. Quickly wiping a sleeve across her wet and sticky face, she turned around.  
They stood in silence for a moment, staring at each other, until Ron embraced her. When they finally parted, his blue eyes were rimmed with tears. "Bloody hell, Hermione. How are you?"  
Her voice was hoarse from crying and screaming when she answered. "I'm alright. What are you doing here?"  
"I come here every night. I'm wondering why you've come." This last part was laced with slight resentment as his grin grew dark, and Hermione took a step back.  
Not answering, she replied, "I'm a teacher now, you know. For Muggle children."  
Ron smiled. "I bet they love you."  
An awkward silence fell over them. Hermione nervously chewed the inside of her cheek before asking, "What about you Ron? How've you been?"  
"We're doing better. Mum's back home you know. But she's not all there in the head. Really only speaks to George. Thinks he's Fred, I believe."  
"George. How is he?"  
Ron hesitated. "He's okay. He closed down the shop. Said it wasn't the same without Fred. You understand."  
Hermione nodded. "But what about you, Ron?"  
Ron stared at her, and she unconsciously wiped at her face again. "I'm as well as you, I suppose." He glanced at Harry's grave, and his face hardened. "He left us all, you know. You weren't the only one having to deal."  
Hermione's face flushed from shame. "I know that Ronald."  
"Do you indeed?" His voice issued a challenge as his eyes met her own, but Hermione didn't rise to the occasion. Instead, she stared at her polished black heels, covered in dirt.  
When she answered with silence, he continued. "You left us, Hermione. We stayed here and helped each other through this, but _you_? You ran away. God, why are you here?"  
Hermione took her time in answering. "Ron- I'm so sorry. I wasn't as strong as everyone else. But you- you had something to hold on to. You had that letter- you had his good-bye. I had nothing to help me!"  
At this, Ron turned a hard eye on her, but said nothing. So she kept going. "The other night, I found a letter from him. I came back for closure, to say good-bye. Because I've hated him for years now, and if I didn't come back, he'd haunt me for the rest of my life! So I'm sorry that my little break down ruined your visit!" She spun around and began to walk off.  
"You had nothing to help you?" He yelled as he started walking with her. "Once, I helped you! We helped each other! But your nose was too high in the bloody air to have ever seen anyone but yourself, isn't it? You didn't care that your abrupt absence might have affected me!"  
"Bollocks!" Hermione whirled back to face him. "I was in love with you, Ronald Weasley! I-" She stopped. What had meant to be retaliation became realization as they looked at each other, both too shocked to do anything.  
Ron made the first move. "I missed you Hermione. Harry died, and you just- you left. I was heartbroken."  
Hermione looked away, her eyes burning with unreleased tears. Finally, she said, "I have to get home. Scott's probably home by now, worried sick."  
Ron's face feel. "Scott?"  
She didn't look at him as she replied, "Yes, Scott. My boyfriend. We share a house in Essex."  
Ron let this news sink in. When at last it did, he could manage only a faint, "Oh."  
Hermione looked at him, at his tall, slender frame, and the blue eyes she'd once drowned in. She moved towards him. When he didn't shy away, she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her as she whispered, "I miss you too. I'm glad you were here. Thinking of you has kept me going on when I thought I couldn't. Thank you." She then broke free from his grasp.  
As she turned away, she choked down the lump in her throat, thinking, _I'm sorry I couldn't be for you what you were for me. _And she walked away from the only two men she'd ever love.  
In that instant, Hermione lost all faith. She became a tragic ending.


End file.
